According to UNICEF 79 per cent of the children in the country below three years of age suffer from anemia caused by iron deficiency. About 70 per cent of the children below five years of age are also affected by this problem.Over 30,000
farmers in the country have taken up cultivation of a new variety of pearl
millet that is rich in iron. The variety was released for commercial use in Maharashtra last year.
Growers’ move to
take up cultivation of the iron-rich pearl millet, marketed under the brand
name According to UNICEF 79 per cent of the children in the
country below three years of age suffer from anemia caused by iron deficiency.
About 70 per cent of the children below five years of age are also affected by
this problem.
Over 30,000
farmers in the country have taken up cultivation of a new variety of pearl
millet that is rich in iron. The variety was released for commercial use in Maharashtra last year.
Growers’ move to
take up cultivation of the iron-rich pearl millet, marketed under the brand
name Dhanashakti, is significant since they seem to have taken up the issue of
iron deficiency leading to wide-spread anemia in the country.
In guidelines for
control of anemia issued earlier this year, UNICEF said that India
Sixty per cent of women aged between 15 and 49
are anemic due to iron deficiency.
According to the Food Policy institute, a study
published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that pearl millet, called kambu in
Tamil and bajra in Hindi, bred containing more iron could provide young
children with their daily iron needs.
According to
Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute, results from a
study under the Harvest Plus Programme indicate that children could get their
full daily iron needs from just 100 grams of flour derived from this pearl
millet variety.
Pearl millet is an
important staple food in semi-arid regions in the country, where iron
deficiency is widespread. Lack of iron affects mental development and
increases fatigue. Severe anemia, due to iron deficiency, increases the risk
of women dying during childbirth.
A study conducted
among iron-deficient children showed that traditional food varieties such as up-puma and roti made from the new pearl millet variety helped them absorb more
iron than from an ordinary millet variety. The additional zinc content also
took care of the children’s daily zinc needs. Zinc shortage among children
could lead to stunted growth and make them prone to common infections.
The research team
was led by Michael Hambidge, Pediatrics Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado
in Denver
On the Indian side,
Bhalchandra Kodkany of Jawaharlal
Nehru Medical
College
The journal also
said that a study conducted on marginally iron-deficient Beninese women found
that they absorbed twice the amount of iron from this nutrition-tailored pearl
millet. is significant since they seem to have taken up the issue of
iron deficiency leading to wide-spread anemia in the country.
In guidelines for
control of anemia issued earlier this year, UNICEF said that India
Sixty per cent of women aged between 15 and 49
are anaemic due to iron deficiency.
According to the Food Policy institute, a study
published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that pearl millet, called kambu in
Tamil and bajra in Hindi, bred containing more iron could provide young
children with their daily iron needs.
According to
Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute, results from a
study under the HarvestPlus Programme indicate that children could get their
full daily iron needs from just 100 grams of flour derived from this pearl
millet variety.
Pearl millet is an
important staple food in semi-arid regions in the country, where iron
deficiency is widespread. Lack of iron affects mental development and
increases fatigue. Severe anemia, due to iron deficiency, increases the risk
of women dying during childbirth.
A study conducted
among iron-deficient children showed that traditional food varieties such as up-puma and roti made from the new pearl millet variety helped them absorb more
iron than from an ordinary millet variety. The additional zinc content also
took care of the children’s daily zinc needs. Zinc shortage among children
could lead to stunted growth and make them prone to common infections.
The research team
was led by Michael Hambidge, Pediatrics Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado
in Denver
On the Indian side,
Bhalchandra Kodkany of Jawaharlal
Nehru Medical
College
The journal also
said that a study conducted on marginally iron-deficient Beninese women found
that they absorbed twice the amount of iron from this nutrition-tailored pearl
millet.
(This article was published in the Business Line print edition dated August 24, 2013)
